1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to vehicles and more specifically to trip computer read-out displays for vehicles. Disclosed is a method and apparatus for displaying trip computer information on the same monitor screen as for the rearview camera in a vehicle.
2. Related Art
An inherent problem associated with driving vehicles of all descriptions involves the driver's ability to see when seated in a forward-facing position but looking out the back of the vehicle or reversing the motion of the vehicle, i.e., backing, for example, into or out of a parking stall. This problem is intensified when the rear of the vehicle is very large and/or does not have windows through which the driver can see. This problem has been alleviated by devices which include, but are not confined to, video cameras installed in such a manner to record what is behind the vehicle and contemporaneously display its findings on a screen, or monitor, which is installed in a range of vision, for example, on the vehicle's dashboard where the driver of the vehicle can readily see the monitor, yet, simultaneously, said monitor does not obstruct the driver's forward, rear or side views. Additionally, the driver wants to be, or should be, aware of pertinent information regarding 1) the vehicle itself, and 2) the trip at hand upon which the driver and vehicle are embarked.
Traditionally, a report on the vehicle's status and the trip at hand has been available in part by viewing the speed being traveled and distance traveled on a mechanical numeric dial or spin meter, on or in the dash of a vehicle. Diagnostic information regarding the vehicle itself generally has been relegated to vague dials on or in the dash, indicating only general levels of low/average/high on such items as oil pressure, water temperature or fuel level. Worse, many vehicles are equipped simply with a light indicator which turns on only when any of the afore-mentioned items are imminently at a disaster level.
Ideally, then, a driver of a vehicle would like to have immediately-available and visible such important data as, but not necessarily confined to, a continuously-available display of:
a. miles per gallon, average miles per gallon; PA1 b. average speed, miles to destination, time to destination, distance traveled, distance scheduled to travel; PA1 c. fuel consumption by the engine, fuel left in the tank in terms of i) gallons, ii) miles and/or iii) time; PA1 d. diagnostic warnings, such as oil temperature/pressure, water temperature, transmission temperature, fuel pressure; PA1 e. time/miles until next oil change in engine and/or transmission, and time/miles until next oil filter and air filter change in engine.
Obviously, all of this information could not fit on standard dial read-outs on a vehicle dash, due to space constraints. Further, mechanically-provided read-outs would be cumbersome, if not impossible, and/or slow. What is needed is a method of obtaining this information and, simultaneously or subsequently, transmitting this information onto an easily-viewed monitor, or screen, preferably onto a monitor or screen which is already in place for another purpose, thus not requiring additional display space, and not detracting the driver's view to a separate place not directly related to his forward, rearward or side viewing. By this means, a driver of a vehicle can glance at the informational data in the same view area as he is using for rear-viewing, thus distributing his attention between just several areas, forward and side windows, and monitors, rather than additionally looking at a multitude of dials or a separate read-out area. Also, what is needed is a method of obtaining this information and displaying it on an easily-viewed monitor, which method does not require additional dials, gauges or monitors which are space-consuming, expensive and distracting.
Others, in past inventions, have disclosed a means by which rear-viewing can be accomplished in a vehicle via a small video camera and a rearview monitor. U.S. Pat. No. 4,214,266 (Myers, Jun. 19, 1978) directly addresses this issue, but makes no claims for processing any data to be viewed on said screen along with the rearview photography. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,289,321 (Secor, Feb. 12, 1993) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,463 (Michetti, May 23, 1988) both disclose means to video-tape scenes directionally around a vehicle, but also are limited to this photography. U.S. Pat. No. 5,530,421 (Marshall, Apr. 26, 1994) discloses circuitry for automated control of an on-board television system having side- and rearview cameras, so that the operator of the vehicle can choose to manually or automatically operate the system. No disclosures are made in Marshall which involve any video screen inputs or outputs recorded by the camera from a computerized trip information source.
The review of the above-mentioned patents reveals that the rear-view monitors displaying the results of a video camera placed in a vehicle do not address the issue of providing, in addition to rear-view information, pertinent computer-generated trip information and/or vehicle diagnostics. Lacking until now is a convenient and inexpensive means by which to transmit trip information and vehicle diagnostics utilizing a vehicle rear-vision video camera monitor.